The recent opening of Represent’s Owners Club Café in Soho got me thinking. More and more, speciality coffee is becoming a tool for brands to create genuine community — and naturally I think that’s a great thing!
Represent could easily have opened a straight retail space. Instead, they built a café right into the heart of their new flagship, giving people a further reason to visit, browse and to connect. It’s not just about the clothes for sale; it’s about a creating a club; with coffee at the heart of it.
Aimé Leon Dore has taken a similar path, with Café Leon Dore locations in both New York and London. They’ve even gone as far as collaborating with La Marzocco on a capsule collection and limited edition espresso machine, selling out in less than a day. It’s proof that for their audience, coffee isn’t an afterthought — it’s part of the brand’s cultural fabric.
What we’ve noticed
We’ve seen the same with MARCHON GYMS, who we’ve been working with since 2022. Their in-gym cafés across their Bath, London Stratford and London Victoria locations have become genuine social hubs. After a workout, members grab a flat white, catch up with friends, and end up spending more time together. The café changes the whole atmosphere — the gym becomes more than a place to train; it becomes a community.
And then there’s Rapha, who arguably pioneered this whole space. Cyclists have known for years that a coffee stop is part of every good ride, and Rapha leaned into that perfectly.
Their 22 Clubhouses around the world are equal parts shop, café, and clubhouse. You can buy a jersey, watch the Tour de France, and set off on a group ride — all fuelled by a speciality coffee. For many in cycling, the coffee is as central to the experience as the rides themselves.
It’s not just cafés, either. Whether it’s marathon activations by Adidas, brand community events by Shopify, or local clubs meeting up on weekends, there’s nearly always a pre or post-run coffee built in. The coffee afterwards is where people actually stop, talk, and form friendships. The miles on the road build fitness; the coffees afterwards build community.
Of course, they’re not the only ones. We’ve seen cafes appear inside fashion houses like Ralph Lauren and Burberry, lifestyle brands like ARKET, and even media brands like Monocle. The common thread is always the same: coffee makes spaces stickier, warmer, and more human - creating environments where people want to stay.
Final Word
As a speciality roastery, we love seeing coffee used in this way. Not just as a drink, but as a force for connection. For me, that’s the most exciting part: the idea that a cup of coffee can transform a space — whether it’s a gym, a shop, a brand — into a community.
Long may it continue — and it’ll be fascinating to see how more brands weave coffee into the fabric of what they do.